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Park City to close its pool for good
By David Dinell
Last Updated: September 10, 2015

After 57 years, the Park City pool is dead. 

The city council voted 8-0 Sept. 8 to permanently close the aging pool, fill it and take down the surrounding fence. The pool, which opened in 1958 and is in McLean Park, was called an "eyesore" by Mayor Ray Mann. 

"Its life is over," he said in pitching his plan to close it. 

Mann and others had looked at replacing it with a splash pad, a specialized water play park, for children, but found that cost was well into the six figures. 

The pool has been closed for several years as the council tried to come to grips with what to do with it. In the meantime, its condition has continued to decline. The pool had long been a money loser for the city, but recent repair and operating costs had just gotten too high, officials said. In addition, the city had been paying for video monitoring services just to look out over the aging facility. 

Several council members said they would like to see a new pool built and said residents still want some sort of pool. 

"We need amenities here," said member Tom Jones. 

"Citizens want a pool, not a splash pad," said member George Glover.

But dealing with the old pool, and not a new one, was the topic at hand, and on that, there was no disagreement. 

There was discussion on making the top of the old pool into basketball courts, but that, too, was pushed aside for the moment to get the decision about the pool's future decided. 

Some of the work to fill in the pool will be done by outside contractors, but some of it can be done in house, said City Administrator Jack Whitson. No cost of the task was readily available. 

In other action, the council:

•Approved a zoning district change at 6125 N. Broadway from C-2 service business district to I-1 light industrial district. The request was made by Roberto R. Balderas, 6125 1/2 N. Broadway. He has a vehicle lot there and needed the zoning change for storage purposes. 

•Listened to a presentation by the city's financial consultant, John Haas, on refinancing of the city's bonds. He said the city could save about $450,000. Council members said they were interested in that and asked Haas to come back at a later meeting with precise details. 

•Approved appropriations of $208,438. 

•Listened to a report from Rick Norman, director of public works. Among other tasks, the park department staff has completed repairs to the irrigation systems and replaced the slide at Primrose Park, the street department has filled thermal cracks on Hydraulic and worked on the sidewalk along that street from 61st Street to City Hall. For the water and sewer department, the average work orders each day for August was 18.

•Approved an agreement with Aging Projects Inc. for Title III nutrition program services at the Senior Center, 61001 N. Hydraulic. The agreement allows Aging Projects to use the center for meals through Meals on Wheels and/or Friendship Meals from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2016. The city's main responsibility for the program, which is for citizens who are 60 and older, is to provide the facility. It doesn't make or pay for the meals. 

•Approved a license for Phoenix, Ariz.-based Circle K Stores Inc. to sell cereal malt beverage at its store at 6115 N. Air Cap Drive.

•Approved expenditures of Transient Guest Tax Funds as recommended by the Convention and Tourism Board. 

They include: Sponsor the 2016 Kansas State Junior College Region VI men's and women's basketball championship quarterfinals from Feb. 28 to March 3 for $18,000. The event takes place at Hartman Arena. Sponsor the KCAC Basketball Tournament Feb. 29 for $12,500 at Hartman. Sponsor the Sunflower Cluster Dog Shows from April 7 through 11 for $4,000 at the Kansas Pavilions. 

Sponsor the Wichita State Shooting Sports Fall Classic Sept. 12-14 for $10,000. Increase funding for advertising with Spring Hill Press by $350, going from $800 to $1,150. The increased expenditure pays for a back cover map on a Park City guide the company is producing. 

•Selected Ray Mann and George Capps as voting delegates to the annual league of Kansas Municipalities Conference. The event will be from Oct. 10 through 12 in Topeka. 

•Postponed a decision on an extension of Millsboro Street.

•Scheduled a special meeting of the council for Sept 15 for a workshop on Public Building Commissions.   

All eight council members and the mayor were present. There was one 10-minute executive session for contract negotiations and attorney/client privilege. No action was taken. 





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